diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/skip-deploy-identifier-d5abb0d4e6af0ecd.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/skip-deploy-identifier-d5abb0d4e6af0ecd.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f80315d7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/skip-deploy-identifier-d5abb0d4e6af0ecd.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+features:
+  - Add a new action argument, skip_deploy_identifier to DeployStackAction. The
+    argument will disable setting a unique value for the DeployIdentifier
+    parameter, which means the SoftwareDeployment resources in the templates
+    will only be triggered if there is an actual change to their configuration.
+    This argument can be used to avoid always applying configuration, such as
+    during node scale out. This option should be used with Caution, and only if
+    there is confidence that the software configuration does not need to be
+    run, such as when scaling out certain roles.
diff --git a/tripleo_common/actions/deployment.py b/tripleo_common/actions/deployment.py
index ba81938ff..ef00be7c6 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/actions/deployment.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/actions/deployment.py
@@ -128,9 +128,11 @@ class OrchestrationDeployAction(base.TripleOAction):
 class DeployStackAction(templates.ProcessTemplatesAction):
     """Deploys a heat stack."""
 
-    def __init__(self, timeout, container=constants.DEFAULT_CONTAINER_NAME):
+    def __init__(self, timeout, container=constants.DEFAULT_CONTAINER_NAME,
+                 skip_deploy_identifier=False):
         super(DeployStackAction, self).__init__(container)
         self.timeout_mins = timeout
+        self.skip_deploy_identifier = skip_deploy_identifier
 
     def run(self):
         # check to see if the stack exists
@@ -147,7 +149,8 @@ class DeployStackAction(templates.ProcessTemplatesAction):
         wf_env = wc.environments.get(self.container)
 
         parameters = dict()
-        parameters['DeployIdentifier'] = int(time.time())
+        if not self.skip_deploy_identifier:
+            parameters['DeployIdentifier'] = int(time.time())
         parameters['UpdateIdentifier'] = ''
         parameters['StackAction'] = 'CREATE' if stack_is_new else 'UPDATE'
 
diff --git a/tripleo_common/tests/actions/test_deployment.py b/tripleo_common/tests/actions/test_deployment.py
index 5a3279316..81cb53158 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/tests/actions/test_deployment.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/tests/actions/test_deployment.py
@@ -266,6 +266,77 @@ class DeployStackActionTest(base.TestCase):
             "overcloud-swift-rings", "swift-rings.tar.gz",
             "overcloud-swift-rings/swift-rings.tar.gz-%d" % 1473366264)
 
+    @mock.patch('tripleo_common.actions.deployment.time')
+    @mock.patch('heatclient.common.template_utils.'
+                'process_multiple_environments_and_files')
+    @mock.patch('heatclient.common.template_utils.get_template_contents')
+    @mock.patch('tripleo_common.actions.base.TripleOAction.'
+                'get_workflow_client')
+    @mock.patch('tripleo_common.actions.base.TripleOAction.get_object_client')
+    @mock.patch(
+        'tripleo_common.actions.base.TripleOAction.get_orchestration_client')
+    @mock.patch('mistral.context.ctx')
+    def test_run_skip_deploy_identifier(
+            self, mock_ctx, get_orchestration_client_mock,
+            mock_get_object_client, mock_get_workflow_client,
+            mock_get_template_contents,
+            mock_process_multiple_environments_and_files,
+            mock_time):
+
+        mock_ctx.return_value = mock.MagicMock()
+        # setup swift
+        swift = mock.MagicMock(url="http://test.com")
+        swift.get_object.side_effect = swiftexceptions.ClientException(
+            'atest2')
+        mock_get_object_client.return_value = swift
+
+        heat = mock.MagicMock()
+        heat.stacks.get.return_value = None
+        get_orchestration_client_mock.return_value = heat
+
+        mock_mistral = mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_env = mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_env.variables = {
+            'temp_environment': 'temp_environment',
+            'template': 'template',
+            'environments': [{u'path': u'environments/test.yaml'}],
+            'parameter_defaults': {'random_existing_data': 'a_value'},
+        }
+        mock_mistral.environments.get.return_value = mock_env
+        mock_get_workflow_client.return_value = mock_mistral
+
+        mock_get_template_contents.return_value = ({}, {
+            'heat_template_version': '2016-04-30'
+        })
+        mock_process_multiple_environments_and_files.return_value = ({}, {})
+
+        # freeze time at datetime.datetime(2016, 9, 8, 16, 24, 24)
+        mock_time.time.return_value = 1473366264
+
+        action = deployment.DeployStackAction(1, 'overcloud',
+                                              skip_deploy_identifier=True)
+        action.run()
+
+        # verify parameters are as expected
+        expected_defaults = {'StackAction': 'CREATE',
+                             'UpdateIdentifier': '',
+                             'random_existing_data': 'a_value'}
+        self.assertEqual(expected_defaults,
+                         mock_env.variables['parameter_defaults'])
+
+        heat.stacks.create.assert_called_once_with(
+            environment={},
+            files={},
+            stack_name='overcloud',
+            template={'heat_template_version': '2016-04-30'},
+            timeout_mins=1,
+        )
+        swift.delete_object.assert_called_once_with(
+            "overcloud-swift-rings", "swift-rings.tar.gz")
+        swift.copy_object.assert_called_once_with(
+            "overcloud-swift-rings", "swift-rings.tar.gz",
+            "overcloud-swift-rings/swift-rings.tar.gz-%d" % 1473366264)
+
 
 class OvercloudRcActionTestCase(base.TestCase):
 
diff --git a/workbooks/deployment.yaml b/workbooks/deployment.yaml
index 5ca89cf28..2c34cf093 100644
--- a/workbooks/deployment.yaml
+++ b/workbooks/deployment.yaml
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ workflows:
       - container
       - run_validations: False
       - timeout: 240
+      - skip_deploy_identifier: False
       - queue_name: tripleo
 
     tasks:
@@ -197,6 +198,7 @@ workflows:
         input:
           timeout: <% $.timeout %>
           container: <% $.container %>
+          skip_deploy_identifier: <% $.skip_deploy_identifier %>
         on-success: send_message
         on-error: set_deployment_failed